Horse-detacher



(no Model.) v

' E. H. MoBRIDE.

HORSE DETAGHER.

No. 475,140. Patented May 17, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD HENRY MCBRIDE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

HORSE-DETACH ER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 475,140, dated May 17, 1892.

Application filed October 20, 1891. Serial No. 409,269. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HENRY Mo- BRIDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Detachers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to draft appliances for vehicles; and it consists in the combination, with the thills provided with detaching means, of a simple and improved construction of harness adapted to be connected with the latter.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientconstruction and arrangement of parts whereby the invention is equally as well adapted for harness employing either a collar or breast-strap.

A further object of the invention is to provide,in connection with the thills having detaching devices,harness embodying holdback means, whereby the power is applied at the breeching when the horse is backing, in lieu of upon the neck or back.

With these and other objects in view the invention further consists, substantially, in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is perspective view of vehicle-thills and harness in. connection therewith and embodying my invention. The harness shown is of the breast-strap pattern, the collar-and-hame pattern being illus trated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the breaststrap and holdback attachment. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the metallic.

thimbles which are applied to the thills. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through one of the thill-tugs and the adjacent parts of the thill.

Corresponding parts in the figures are denoted by the same letters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the vehicle-thills, which may be in the main of any suitable construction. The thills are contracted at their forward ends, and each of said ends beveled at its side edges to form a wedge-shaped member a.

B B designate two metallic extensions or thimbles for the thills, conforming in contour thereto and provided at their rear ends with vertically and longitudinally arranged flaring socketsb 1), corresponding to and receiving the members a, to which they are firmly screwed or otherwise secured. The metallic thimbles B are each provided in advance of the socket b with an inwardly-flaring, horizontally, and longitudinally arranged slot 0, said slots having at their forward outer edges an offset 0. Within the slot 0 are disposed detachable draft-plates D D, the latter having their ends outwardly beveled to correspond with the flaring ends of the sockets. A forwardly-projecting lug d is provided at the outer edge of the forward end of each plate D, said lugs engaging t-he offsets 0. At the rear ends of the plates are provided centrally-arranged recesses d, which are normally engaged by the beveled end 6 of a spring-held snap-catch E, and to said catches are connected suitable means, under the control of the driver, for operating the same.

WVithin the body of the plates D are provided approximatelysegmentally-curved slots D, the plates being so arranged relative to the thills that the ends of the slots project beyond the inner edge thereof and form eyes (1 d through'one of which draft connection is made. To effect proper connection with the rear eyes d the latter are provided at their forward sides with offsets d In practice draft is applied through either the forward or rear eyes, as desired. The ends of the projecting portions of the plates are rounded, as

shown, the object of which being to prevent injury to the horse, such as would be liable to occur were such projections left sharp and angular. To this end the metallic thimbles B are provided at their forward ends with outwardly-curved integral elongations B, ter minating in advance of the shoulders of the horse, thus preventing injury to the latter by contact with the thill ends. The elongations B are cast or otherwise formed hollow and also fenestrated with a view to lightness.

To insure immediate detachment of the breast-strap pattern of harness form practi cally'acontinuation ofthebreast-strap. Near the rear ends of the draft-tugs are secured plates H H, provided with elongated loops h h, which are connected, respectively, with one of the eyes in each of the plates D by a ring or link h h. In the collar-and-hame pattern of harness the front ends of the draft-tugs are preferably provided with metallic loops k 712, which are connected with the hames in the usual manner, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. At the rear ends of the draft-tugs G are secured buckles 1 'i, to which are attached the forward ends of holdback-straps I I, the rear ends of the latter being secured to a breeching J. Thill-tugs K K are provided for the thills, said thill tugs being constructed of leather and connected with the harness-saddle. The holdback-Straps pass through the thill-tugs and are rigidly secured thereto, the purpose of which will now appear. Upon the under side of each of the thills, in rear of the thill-tug embracing the same, is secured a metallic plate L, forming a shoulder or stop Z at its forward end, designed to limit the rearward movement of the thill-tug uponthe thill. Thus in backing the holdback-straps, in addition to effectinga backward draft upon the plates D, also draw upon the thill-tugs, which, being limited in their rearward play upon the thills, serve to assist in this operation.

The remaining parts of the harness may be of any suitable or preferred construction, a

" desoriptionof which being unnecessary.

The operation and advantages of in y in vention will be readily understood bythose skilled inthe art to which it appertains.

From the foregoing construction and arrangeinent it will be obvious that my invention is thoroughly practical whether a breaststrap or a collar and hames be used, and that by the employment of the construction for backing all strain and injury to the neck and back of the horse is entirely overcome.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with thills provided with plates secured thereto and forming shoulders or stops at their front ends and with detachable draft devices located in advance of said plates, of harness comprising draft-tugs adapted to be connected tosaid devices, straps formed at their lower ends, with thill-tugs embracing and supporting the thills and adapted to engage the shouldered plates, breeching, and holdback straps connecting the same with the draft -tugs, said holdback -straps being permanently connected with the thill-tugs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the thills provided with detachable draft devices located near their forward ends and with plates secured to the thills in rear of said devices and forming shoulders or stops at their front ends, of harness comprising draft-tugs connected with the draft devices, thilletugs embracing and supporting the thills and adapted to engage the shouldered plates, breeching, and holdback-straps secured to the latter and to the thill-tugs and connected with the drafttugs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described harness,com prising draft-tugs adapted to be connected with draft devices carried at the forward ends of the thills, straps formed at theirlower ends with thill-tugs for the purpose described, breeching, holdback-straps connecting the same with the draft-tugs and passing through the thilltugs, and straps disposed outside the latter and secured to the holdback-straps at each- 

